t I have. The fact is that the
Caribbean and its approaches are not only swarming with privateers, but
I have too much reason to believe that there is a strong gang of
out-and-out pirates at work as well. I was in hopes that the capture of
that pirate brigantine by the _Europa_ would put an end to all that kind
of work, but it has not; indeed, it has scarcely made any appreciable
impression upon the number of outrages of a distinctly piratical
character that are being constantly reported to me. I am, of course,
not now alluding to vessels that have gone temporarily missing, for they
may in most cases be traced to the operations of the enemy; but I refer
to those which vanish utterly, leaving no trace of any kind behind them
to hint at their fate; and also to those other craft which are fallen in
with, derelict, from time to time, plundered, and bearing indications
that an attempt has been made to destroy them, either by scuttling them,
or setting them on fire. Privateers don't do that sort of thing, you
know. If they capture a ship they generally put a prize-crew aboard her
and send her into the nearest port belonging to them. Pirates, however,
endeavour to escape identification by destroying all traces of their
handiwork and butchering the unfortunate crews of the vessels.

"A case of this kind came to light only last week. The _Kingston
Trader_ of Bristol, with a very valuable cargo and five thousand pounds
in specie, has been overdue about a month, and her consignees have been
worrying me accordingly. Last Friday a small turtling schooner arrived
from the Windward Passages, reporting that they had seen a wreck ashore
near Tete de Chien on the island of Tortuga, off the north-west coast of
Saint Domingo. They launched their pirogue, and succeeded in getting
close enough to the wreck to identify her as the missing _Kingston
Trader_, and also to ascertain that she had been on fire, most of her
upper works having been consumed. That is the third case of an almost
identical kind that has occurred within the last two months, and I am
convinced that it is the work of pirates.

"Now, young gentleman, I am going to give you the job of finding those
pirates and bringing them to book. It is work for a _man_, I know, but
I have not a man to spare; and I am convinced, from the way in which you
answered my questions last night, and from the character which Captain
Vavassour has given you, not only that you are a very ca